Recipe: Hot Cross Buns

Prep Time: 30mins I Cook Time: 20mins I Rising: 2.5hrs I Total Time: 3hrs 20mins I Yields: 12 buns

Ingredients

Buns

• 640g (4 1/4 cups) plain flour

• 8 grams (1 sachet) instant dried yeast

• 110g (1/2 cup) sugar

• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

• 2 tsp all spice

• 50g (3 1/2 tbsp) butter or margarine, melted

• 375ml (1 1/2 cups) milk, any including non-dairy

• 1 egg or equivalent of egg replacer

• 210g (1 1/2 cups) sultanas or chocolate chips, optional

Crosses

• 50g (1/4 cup) plain flour

• 4 tbsp water

Instructions

Mix Ingredients

1. Place the flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon and all spice in a medium size bowl. Briefly mix together.

2. Add butter, milk, egg, and sultanas or chocolate chips (if choosing to add them in) to the bowl.

Kneading

1. If using a standmixer, with the dough hook mix for 5 minutes on speed 4 until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be a little tacky, but not sticky.

2. If kneading by hand, dust a work surface with flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be a little tacky, but not sticky.

Rise 1

1. Form the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl, seam side down.

2. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm spot (25 degrees celsius, is optimal) until it has doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 30minutes to 2hours, depending on your climate and how warm it is.

Forming the Buns

1. Line a 26cm x 20cm tin with baking paper.

2. Dust work surface with flour.

3. Remove the tea towel and place dough on floured surface.

4. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces.

5. Take once piece, flatten it out a little with your palm, and pull the edges into the middle, forming a ball. Turn the ball over, so the seam is facing down. Briefly roll the ball in your hands to smooth out the top. Repeat with remaining dough.

Rise 2

1. Place the buns in the pre-lined tin in rows of 3x4.

2. Place the tea towel over the tin and return the tin to the warm place. Let them rise for 30mins to 1hour, until the dough has risen just less than double in size. 

3. Just before this second rise is done, preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Crosses

1. Mix flour and water, for the crosses, together until a thick, goopy, yet runny paste forms.

2. Spoon into a 3mm round piping bag or a small ziplock bag then snip the corner.

3. Remove the tea towel and pipe crosses on top of the buns.

Bake

1. Place the buns in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees celsius, for 20minutes, or until they are golden brown.

2. Remove buns from oven. Let cool for 5minutes before lifting onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool before serving.